New Nikon D5100 with Sigma 10-20mm Lens for internal shots... Tips?

Hi lads,

Just scored myself a reasonably priced entry level DSLR and Wide Angle Lens for £300 and didn't think that was too bad. Most of my shots I will be taken for the adverts I create for Rightmove & Zoopla.

Any tips on how I can get the most out of this setup? I'm an absolute n00b with Cameras and aperture, ISO, Exposure and 'F values' are all very new words for me.
We have some seriously talented photographers on here and I could do with some advice and/or tips on making clients houses look as best as I possibly can.

TIA!

Make as much use of natural light as you can, use a tripod, set the camera to AV (aperture priority) ISO100, aperture f/8, (this ensures a good depth of field)shutter doesn't matter because you will be using a tripod, use a remote or cable release and you won't shake the camera, don't shoot at windows, they will blow the light right out (like shooting into the sun) shoot Jpeg fine and large image format. If you choose to shoot RAW you will need to process each image in Photoshop or similar. If you need flash get a full size one (the on board one isn't powerful to light a full room) and bounce off the ceiling, maybe a softbox on the flash to soften it, lots of possibilities but do practice in house first until you are happy
Just my opinion of course, someone may well have a different view,
good luck

As a novice i would say stick it in P mode (do Nikons have a P mode?, i'm a Canon user), i shot a wedding recently and got my daughter to help with a Canon in P mode and flash it worked fine, buy an external flash, with a diffuser, and bounce off a white ceiling or wall, and practice at different ISO's and apertures.

Trying to shoot manual is a steep learning curve, so that's why i recommend P automatic mode for ease.

Thanks for the tips guys, been trying to bend my head round all this, but still spinning with it all. I've read the manual 5 times and it assumes you already understand what AE-L is or ISO stands for it AF-P and the like.

My Sigma 10-20mm lens landed today and I've heard loads of great things about this thing, but experience so far has been more than fucking agrovating.

It won't fire unless conditions it likes are optimal and I have no idea what optimal is. Using the viewfinder it wont fire at all. Focusing with it feels beyond its reach, it can focus as 20mm, 18mm forget it... 10mm not even close.

Every photo so far has been seriously out of focus compared to all my other shots with my previous 18-55mm lens.

Is my lens fucked? It feels like it is...?


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Turns out, after speaking with Sigma, my lens was released prior to my camera and now requires a firmware update.
Makes sense.

The fella I purchased it from was using it with a much older D90 and the firmware is correct for his body.

Sigma explained it needs updating for taking into consideration my newer camera body. They've offered to update the lens for free (I pay postage).

Not too bad if them in my opinion.!!

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Glad you got it sorted mate, i'm clueless with Nikon, having never owned one :)